The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics and hepatic function after TIPS creation. Fifteen cirrhotics with portal hypertension underwent TIPS placement for treatment of variceal hemorrhage, and extensive hemodynamic studies including right heart catheterization, portal pressure measurement, hepatic blood flow, and indocyanine green (ICG) clearance were performed before and 1 month after the procedure. Self-expandable metal stents (Strecker 11 mm diameter) were placed in all cases. Portasystemic gradient significantly diminished (18.3 +/- 4.2 vs 8 +/- 2.8; 54% +/- 18 mm Hg) after the technique, mainly due to a decrease in portal pressure, and remained stable in the final study. Cardiac output and mean arterial pressure increased (6.2 +/- 1.4 vs 8.2 +/- 1.8 liters/min, 80.1 +/- 10.1 vs 91 +/- 11.2 mm Hg, respectively), and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance was registered (1018 +/- 211 vs 872 +/- 168 dyne/sec/cm5); the hepatic blood flow and ICG clearance also decreased significantly (1.5 +/- 0.7 vs 0.68 +/- 0.2 liters/min, 0.4 +/- 0.2 vs 0.24 +/- 0.06 liters/min, respectively). There was an increase in the preload at the final study, as evidenced by a marked increase in right atrial (3.1 +/- 1.6 vs 4.35 +/- 2.2 mmHg, +15%, P < 0.05), pulmonary arterial (12.2 +/- 2.4 vs 15.9 +/- 3.2 mm Hg, +31.8%, P < 0.001), and wedge pulmonary arterial pressures (6.9 +/- 2.4 vs 9.8 +/- 3.1 mm Hg, +53%, P < 0.001). These results suggest that TIPS worsens the hyperdynamic syndrome associated to portal hypertension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)